Karen's Corner March 2015

I've been asked a few times about a smokey smell in the office or on my clothes. Rest assured, we're not stepping out for smoke breaks, or working on becoming one of those other types of "wellness centers."

This is moxibustion, or moxa, a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the burning of mugwort to facilitate healing. We have many different types that we use here, including the "smokeless" stick that looks like a cigar, or a regular stick which produces a lot more smoke. We use these sticks to heat up certain acupuncture points on the body for specific effect.

For example, with some types of neuropathy, we might heat up local points. We also have loose moxa that we put directly on the skin, set smoldering with an incense stick and then remove before it gets too hot. This can be useful in cases of Qi deficiency, such as extreme fatigue or immune system insufficiency. Are you interested in learning more about moxa? Feel free to ask me or Sarah!